]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20522014-06-20T20:11:19Z2014-03-28T07:00:06Z“You know your children are growing up when they stop asking where they came from and refuse to tell you where they’re going.”

]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20502014-06-20T20:00:24Z2014-03-27T15:11:39ZUnconditional love is such an amazing non-reality. Why? Because “unconditional” love means you don’t make judgments, which are absolutely necessary. We have to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and sacred from profane. And one of the judgments we all have to make at one time or another is the difference between helping and enabling.

Doing a nice thing for someone or helping out occasionally is one thing, but when a person is capable and their responsibilities are handled for them all the time, they are not held responsible. Enabling protects them from the consequences of their choices and actions. And the more you let them depend on you and take you for granted, the less motivated they are to change.

Now let’s talk about the enabler. There’s a payoff for everything in life or else we wouldn’t do it. The enabler enables because it gives them a false sense of superiority and makes them feel needed. They also feel control over the other person (through guilt) by helping them. However, they ironically still end up feeling resentful, frustrated, or unappreciated.

Real love for somebody is being able to step back and allow them to suffer enough to recognize their need to change. That’s the only way to help make them a whole human being again.

Don’t lie for anyone. Don’t be the wife who gets on the phone and says her husband is sick when he’s hungover.

Don’t make excuses for others when they don’t fulfill their obligations.

Don’t clean up after a substance abuser. They should see the damage they’ve done and the chaos they’ve caused.

Be accountable for your bills only. If you’re not responsible for it, don’t pay it.

Stand up for yourself. You don’t have to be mean, but you do have to put your foot down.

Don’t rescue. A person must suffer the consequences of their actions. Which means don’t pay for lawyers or post bail.

Stop trying to fix everybody. You’re not a magician and you’re not God. Work on yourself. Get the support of friends, family members and counselors. Join Al-Anon or some other 12-step program. Do whatever it takes to stop yourself from hurting somebody else with your notion of helping.

]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20482014-06-20T19:57:09Z2014-03-26T07:00:30Z
]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20452014-06-20T19:54:22Z2014-03-21T14:52:25ZThe spring came suddenly,bursting upon the worldas a child bursts into a room,with a laugh and a shoutand hands full of flowers.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
American poet and educator
1807-1882

]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20432014-06-20T19:51:53Z2014-03-20T19:50:35ZFinding a guy to be your boyfriend is easy – just go to any bar. What’s more difficult is finding a man who deserves to be your prince.

EVERY woman wants a prince. That doesn’t mean you are dependent on a man or can’t do anything on your own. You can be extremely competent and self-sufficient and still want to be courted.

He puts you on a pedestal. He appreciates and respects you. He knows what he has to do to show his love, and he makes darn sure he doesn’t hurt you. If he accidentally hurts you, he doesn’t hesitate to admit his mistake and apologize sincerely. He isn’t verbally or physically ugly towards you.

He is a man of his word. When he says he will do something, he does it. He is loyal and takes full responsibility for his words and actions.

He loves you inside and out. We used to call it “warts and all”. He isn’t just hot for your body. He loves your strengths, nurtures your weaknesses, and thinks your imperfections are cute. He’s tolerant and compassionate.

He is mature. He has a well-established job and a good income, and he makes plans for the future. He doesn’t spend his time playing video games. He’s not lazy and he’s not a workaholic – he is able to balance fun and relaxation with work and productivity.

He is the leader in the relationship. He protects and provides.

He is confident in himself. He’s not desperately trying to change or accommodate to satisfy anyone else’s ridiculous wants or desires.

He is independent. He enjoys his own company, spends time with his own family and friends, and has his own hobbies and activities. He isn’t needy, clingy or jealous. You are the center of his universe, but there are other planets in his solar system.

He is appreciative of you. He notices and praises the little things you do.

He is honest. He admits his mistakes and does everything with good intentions. He communicates and critiques honestly, not cruelly.

He is moral. He has a code of values that he lives by and you can count on.

No woman should tolerate anything less than a prince. And remember, a REAL prince also deserves a REAL princess. So if you do find a prince, don’t nag, whine, complain, or act self-centered or narcissistic.

]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20412014-06-20T19:49:57Z2014-03-19T07:00:03Z
]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20392014-06-20T19:47:32Z2014-03-18T17:46:13ZWhat can you do when your teen’s fantasy is stopping them from studying? Watch:

]]>0drlaurahttp://www.drlaura.comhttp://www.drlaurablog.com/?p=20352014-06-20T19:43:40Z2014-03-13T07:00:49ZStriving for excellence is a worthy enterprise. But if you find yourself in distress because of real or perceived failures along the way, or you quit because you’re not perfect, then you have a problem.

I struggle with being a perfectionist. I work really hard to do everything well, and I get upset and distracted if I can’t. However, I don’t quit – I find another route.

For example, some of the jewelry I make is fine silver from precious metal clay. It’s not easy to work with and dries practically just by looking at it. I decided to take a three-day private lesson from an incredible metal clay artist, Lisa Barth. While training with Lisa, I made a number of nice things, but I had in my mind that anything I made had to look as good as what she made. After two and a half weeks of frustration, I ended up throwing away most of my work.

Why couldn’t I do it like she did? Was it because she had done it longer?

No, time was only partially the answer. The problem was that I am not artistic in the sense that Lisa is. For example, I could take painting lessons from Da Vinci all day, but I could never paint like him in 40 years of practice. There’s a certain quality you have to have.

I needed to accept the fact that I could NOT do Da Vinci (or Lisa Barth) – I could ONLY do Dr. Laura.

The minute I told myself that, I made a couple of things immediately! They weren’t complex, but they were nice. I freed myself up by recognizing that even though I didn’t have that talent, I did have a talent.

I don’t perceive it as any form of quitting or being negative about myself. I consider it being honest with myself. Things don’t make you feel bad about yourself; your ATTITUDE about those things makes you feel bad about yourself.

Here are some tips for the next time you’re struggling with the need to be perfect:

Realize you are limited – more limited in some areas and less limited in others. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just reality.

Accept that there are always going to be people better than you. Every day, say to yourself, “I’m better than some, not as good as others.”

Recognize that mistakes happen and they should happen. You cannot be on your game 24/7. People who are always down on themselves do not live as long.

Try not to get impatient with yourself when you are stressed out. When you are stressed, try to avoid activities that require an intense amount of concentration or focus. These types of activities can make the stress worse instead of better.